Off the again of tonight’s win at UFC 313, Justin Gaethje has put the brakes on a trilogy rubber match with two-fight rival, Dustin Poirier subsequent, claiming he doesn’t need both of their households to witness them competing reverse one another anymore.
Gaethje, the present quantity three ranked light-weight contender, returned to winning-ways tonight with a powerful determination win over short-notice foe and former rival, Rafael Fiziev in an impromptu co-main occasion rematch.
Taking dwelling a second profession win over the Tiger Muay Thai star, Gaethje would trip out a second and third spherical win in opposition to the previous, dropping the Kazakh striker with a well-placed uppercut in shut halfway by way of the spherical.
Justin Gaethje tired of trilogy battle with Dustin Poirier
And staking his declare for a title battle in opposition to the incumbent, Islam Makhachev subsequent, Gaethje performed down possibilities of taking over fellow former interim champion, Poirier sooner or later once more, claiming their households don’t “deserve” to see them batter one another.
“I’ve stated many times that I don’t think either one of our families deserve that,” Justin Gaethje advised assembled media following UFC 313. “We’re one and one. I’m okay with it. If he’s okay with it, then no. I don’t think we’re contenders if we beat other people. If I beat him, I don’t think either one of us would be considered a contender.”
First combating again in 2018 in his native Arizona, Gaethje suffered an eventual fifth spherical knockout loss to Poirier on dwelling soil in a back-and-forth conflict.
Nonetheless, again in 2023, Gaethje grew to become the second-ever symbolic BMF champion with a thunderous second spherical high-kick knockout win over the Lafayette striker.
